Visual pollution in the coutryside

[Paul mabbott]

And elsewhere.
There's a group of people making plans to keep 'phone masts &c out of view views vistas and reverie
with varying degrees of success.
They are also working on a campaign to clear the Upper Don Valley of pylons and overground cables, although I can't find this on-line.
Seems worth encouraging ....

[Jez]

Paul what do you reckon to relink the lights out on our streets as before in the 80's. The 90's where the hottest on record until now. I do believe this is so eco friendly, will save on carbon polution & light emitting too. Car crime could drop in big numbers and so could knive and gang violence if we had a black out. I'm old enough to remember the switch which wasn't televised. Before the switch when it was lights out you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. It wasn't long after that when the street lights where continiously on that car crime started on my estate. Surely the reverse would be an obstacle for any potential car thief & now we have children out at all hours. Global warming is real & were are all been told ( or asked which ever way you look at it) to be more energy efficient but the street light carries on burning away whats the use? Lets Call for lights out bring the young in off the streets and reduce crime aswell as a benefit the planet. Peace out-Jez

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Jez

Paul what do you reckon to relink the lights out on our streets as before in the 80's. The 90's where the hottest on record until now. I do believe this is so eco friendly, will save on carbon polution & light emitting too. Car crime could drop in big numbers and so could knive and gang violence if we had a black out. I'm old enough to remember the switch which wasn't televised. Before the switch when it was lights out you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. It wasn't long after that when the street lights where continiously on that car crime started on my estate. Surely the reverse would be an obstacle for any potential car thief & now we have children out at all hours. Global warming is real & were are all been told ( or asked which ever way you look at it) to be more energy efficient but the street light carries on burning away whats the use? Lets Call for lights out bring the young in off the streets and reduce crime aswell as a benefit the planet. Peace out-Jez

the kids are no good on the streets until the streets are good for them. p.s the stats say that the average child isn't allowed now until the age of 14 not in.....

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

And elsewhere.
There's a group of people making plans to keep 'phone masts &c out of view views vistas and reverie
with varying degrees of success.
They are also working on a campaign to clear the Upper Don Valley of pylons and overground cables, although I can't find this on-line.
Seems worth encouraging ....

Hi Paul,

Yes, definitely worth encouraging. Too many times on my walks I've wanted to take a photo only for the view to be spoilt by pylons, masts or overhead wires.

Of course, like most things it will depend on cost.

Pete

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

Hi Paul,

Yes, definitely worth encouraging. Too many times on my walks I've wanted to take a photo only for the view to be spoilt by pylons, masts or overhead wires.

Of course, like most things it will depend on cost.

Pete

I think the most important factor will be the amount of local councilors/MPs in the area...

[Gill Catton]

I have to be honest, I'm not keen, the level of disruption and cost to put them underground miles and miles of countryside torn up purely for asthetic reasons? Yes the countryside would recover provided the installation was properly supervised and the contractors don't bring any unwanted species in on their tracks but still I think its of lesser importance than sourcing green electricity in the first place.

At the moment one of the few viable options is wind power and although turbines are effectively temporary structures easily removed in the future - when we have better technologies, schemes are getting turned down all over the place for asthetic reasons.

It is the obsession with how pretty a place is that gets brown-field sites stuffed full of wildlife built on, that gets diverse but scrappy and brownish grassland parks feritlised and planted up with bright flowery non native species of little use to our wildlife....

'Britan's prettiest Village' competitions that strim down every last patch of nettles and thistle that dare to exist in order to win the cup and to please Mrs Bledington-Smythe.... despite the fact that villages were never meant to function as a pretty things to look at, that they originated as busy, dusty, dirty, messy places full of stray dogs, cowpats, grubby children and hard working people who had better things in their life to worry about than who's weeding the flower beds by the school.

Just because something is more pleasing on the eye doesn't mean its better in my opinion.

Sorry I've rather gone over the top here haven't I.....

I suppose if you could wave a magic wand and magic the wires underground at no risk to any wildlife then brilliant but otherwise I struggle with the idea - I'd prefer the money to go towards local power generation - where every city, town and village had it's own wind power, solar plant and bio fuel plant (that can take refuse) and the actual need for the wires across the country was reduced.

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

...
Just because something is more pleasing on the eye doesn't mean its better in my opinion.
...

I agree with your opinion, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to put up with eyesores.

I don't think you've gone over the top, you've raised some very valid points which I generally agree with.

As you say, we should be concentrating more on getting local and renewable energy. However there are limits - wind power is obviously very important, but I for one don't want to see wind farms in areas of outstanding beauty such as Cumbria. There has to be a sensible compromise between renewable energy and preserving the beauty that makes a place special.

Pete

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Pete Collins

I agree with your opinion, but that doesn't necessarily mean we have to put up with eyesores.

I don't think you've gone over the top, you've raised some very valid points which I generally agree with.

As you say, we should be concentrating more on getting local and renewable energy. However there are limits - wind power is obviously very important, but I for one don't want to see wind farms in areas of outstanding beauty such as Cumbria. There has to be a sensible compromise between renewable energy and preserving the beauty that makes a place special.

Pete

but could such windfarms even in beauty spots be tolerated if they were only there for a designated period and located close to existing roads (reducing the need for additional infrastructure)?

After all climate change could severely alter what these lovely areas look like and if, (a big if I know) changing our energy source quick smart might make a difference - perhaps we should pull out all the stops even if they are ugly....

[Pete Collins]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

but could such windfarms even in beauty spots be tolerated if they were only there for a designated period and located close to existing roads (reducing the need for additional infrastructure)?

After all climate change could severely alter what these lovely areas look like and if, (a big if I know) changing our energy source quick smart might make a difference - perhaps we should pull out all the stops even if they are ugly....

Gill,

I understand and sympathise with your point of view. I know very little about this subject, so I can't suggest any alternatives but I am just hoping that there is a way of switching to renewable energy without marring the countryside. If not, you're quite correct - better to save the planet than save a gorgeous view!

Pete

[buzfuz8149]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I have to be honest, I'm not keen, the level of disruption and cost to put them underground miles and miles of countryside torn up purely for asthetic reasons? Yes the countryside would recover provided the installation was properly supervised and the contractors don't bring any unwanted species in on their tracks but still I think its of lesser importance than sourcing green electricity in the first place.

At the moment one of the few viable options is wind power and although turbines are effectively temporary structures easily removed in the future - when we have better technologies, schemes are getting turned down all over the place for asthetic reasons.

It is the obsession with how pretty a place is that gets brown-field sites stuffed full of wildlife built on, that gets diverse but scrappy and brownish grassland parks feritlised and planted up with bright flowery non native species of little use to our wildlife....

'Britan's prettiest Village' competitions that strim down every last patch of nettles and thistle that dare to exist in order to win the cup and to please Mrs Bledington-Smythe.... despite the fact that villages were never meant to function as a pretty things to look at, that they originated as busy, dusty, dirty, messy places full of stray dogs, cowpats, grubby children and hard working people who had better things in their life to worry about than who's weeding the flower beds by the school.

Just because something is more pleasing on the eye doesn't mean its better in my opinion.

Sorry I've rather gone over the top here haven't I.....

I suppose if you could wave a magic wand and magic the wires underground at no risk to any wildlife then brilliant but otherwise I struggle with the idea - I'd prefer the money to go towards local power generation - where every city, town and village had it's own wind power, solar plant and bio fuel plant (that can take refuse) and the actual need for the wires across the country was reduced.

No I do not think you have gone over the top - you have said how I feel, perhaps we are in a minority but I cannot understand what is so wrong with wind power - I say it has got to be worth a try.

Carol.

[Paul mabbott]

I take your point and would much prefer to see the countryside absolutely undisturbed. On the other hand, the places that FPD Friends of the Peak District - Campaigns are trying to improve are not open countryside but ex-industrial land, canals and riversides &c..

With regard to wind-farms - I actually find them quite elegant, even beautiful, and have no objection to them in most places - am more concerned about the powerlines leading from them and the roads leading too them - often grossly overdone! It's interesting that some of the people who object to wind-farms as artificial seem to have no objection to castles, churches and other buildings scattered about the landscape!

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I have to be honest, I'm not keen, the level of disruption and cost to put them underground miles and miles of countryside torn up purely for asthetic reasons? Yes the countryside would recover provided the installation was properly supervised and the contractors don't bring any unwanted species in on their tracks but still I think its of lesser importance than sourcing green electricity in the first place.

At the moment one of the few viable options is wind power and although turbines are effectively temporary structures easily removed in the future - when we have better technologies, schemes are getting turned down all over the place for asthetic reasons.

It is the obsession with how pretty a place is that gets brown-field sites stuffed full of wildlife built on, that gets diverse but scrappy and brownish grassland parks feritlised and planted up with bright flowery non native species of little use to our wildlife....

'Britan's prettiest Village' competitions that strim down every last patch of nettles and thistle that dare to exist in order to win the cup and to please Mrs Bledington-Smythe.... despite the fact that villages were never meant to function as a pretty things to look at, that they originated as busy, dusty, dirty, messy places full of stray dogs, cowpats, grubby children and hard working people who had better things in their life to worry about than who's weeding the flower beds by the school.

Just because something is more pleasing on the eye doesn't mean its better in my opinion.

Sorry I've rather gone over the top here haven't I.....

I suppose if you could wave a magic wand and magic the wires underground at no risk to any wildlife then brilliant but otherwise I struggle with the idea - I'd prefer the money to go towards local power generation - where every city, town and village had it's own wind power, solar plant and bio fuel plant (that can take refuse) and the actual need for the wires across the country was reduced.

[Varan Komodosky]

Being realistic, pylons and cables have been there longer than most of the forum members anyway. Posts and telephone lines definetely longer than any forum member.